5 easy ways to reduce your plastic consumption

I read an article recently that really upset me and it really put it into perspective that we are killing the earth. National Geographic recently released a magazine with the shocking cover ‘Plastic or Planet‘. One of the main aims of the campaign is to change the ways we use plastic and how we as consumers can change the world we live in. We need to work together to bring about change and hopefully the big corporations will see that we want things to change and actually make a difference. Not only is the plastic ruining our ecosystem and world it is also entering our food chain as many animals are consuming microscopic particles of plastic through the water.

I’ve listed 5 easy things we can all do to reduce our plastic consumption. I could probably make this list a lot longer but here are some quick and pretty easy things you can do to help the world.

1. Buying reusable coffee cups – you can reduce your waste a lot by doing that! Imagine if you get a cup of coffee/tea every morning on your commute to work, that’s 5 cups a week, 20 cups a month and 240 cups a year on takeaway cups ALONE! Most coffee shops will take money off your order if you use a reusable cup, so you’re not only saving the planet but your bank account as well. You can normally buy reusable cups in store but I’ve also found one on amazon for £11.99. This also goes to plastic water bottles, reusable ones are readily available and so much better for the planet!
2. Saying no to straws – this is so important, why do you need to use a straw when you’ve got a mouth to drink with? I have ordered myself some metal straws off amazon which are cheap and come with brushes which you can use to clean them with! I’ve found some for only £4.99 which is such good value for money. You can buy them here, I’m going to start taking these out with me as well so I can use them if I need to while dining out.
3. Carrying reusable shopping bags with you – most shops charge for plastic bags now, carrying reusable shopping bags with you will help reduce your plastic consumption and save money! I always carry one in my work bag for ’emergency’ grocery shopping , it doesn’t have to be anything fancy but I found this really cute one off not on the high street which you can personalise for only £10.00!
4. Saying no to plastic cutlery – if you’re like me and get a takeaway or pick food  up on your way home from work then say no to the plastic cutlery they put in your bags, you’re going to be eating at home so there’s no need to waste the plastic cutlery when you’ve got your own cutlery at home, you’re probably going to end up throwing it out and not using it anyways.
5. Avoiding excessive food packaging – I’ve started making the conscious decision to start buying groceries with less packaging on them, this means my food shop might take a bit longer or it’s harder for me to find things but why do all our fruits and vegetables have to be packaged in little trays, boxes, bags and so forth? it’s so wasteful and I’m really supportive of supermarkets trying to stop that!

Know I know you’re probably thinking that one person can’t save the world but if you do small thing, they do all add up. Every change we make, no matter how minuscule it may seem, does make a difference. We need to work together to protect our planet.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and if you’re going to implement any of these things, spread the word because awareness is the best thing we can do as people and as influencers!

Love, Cally x